142 BAY-BIRDS 



well as the marlin or yellow-legs. It passes north 

 early in May, when it is often called the black-bel- 

 lied plover, and regarded from its plumage as a dis- 

 tinct variety from the fall bird ; it is then quite shy. 

 In August or September it returns, being more plen- 

 tiful in the latter month, and is often found in great 

 numbers especially at Montauk Point; and at that 

 period the young, being quite fat, are regarded as 

 delicious eating. It is then greyer in appearance 

 and not so strongly colored as when in full plumage. 

 Before the main flight arrives, scattering individuals 

 are heard uttering their peculiar beautiful and shrill 

 cry, and are seen shyly approaching the stools, or 

 darting round not far off, and yet afraid to draw 

 close to them. Its head is large and round, giving 

 rise to the name of bull-head, which is common on 

 the coast of New Jersey, although in New York it 

 is generally known as black-breast. 



" Specific Character. — Bill stout, along the gap 

 one inch and five-sixteenths ; length of tarsi one inch 

 and five-eighths. Adult male with the bill black, 

 strong, shorter than the head ; cheeks, loral space, 

 throat, fore-neck, breast, with a large portion of the 

 abdomen black ; hind part of the abdomen and flanks 

 white ; forehead, with a broad band passing down 

 the sides of the neck and breast, white ; crown, oc- 

 ciput, and hind-neck greyish white, spotted with 

 dusky; upper parts blackish-brown, the feathers 

 broadly tipped with white ; eye encircled with white ; 

 tail and upper tail-coverts white, barred with black, 

 the former tipped with white ; lower tail-coverts 



